Time travel is one of the favorite ideas in science fiction film, but the movies about it are quite different. In some, the hero is sent to the past to fix something; in others he gets stuck in a single day; in still others, time itself becomes a weapon. Below are seven films that illustrate these different approaches well.
Facts about the films come from Wikipedia pages checked on October 14, 2026. We don’t give our own ratings: the selection is built on the shape of the story and on what exactly awaits you. Each film has a card on our site with its main details.
The Terminator
A cyborg assassin travels from a post-apocalyptic 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, whose future son will one day lead the resistance against the artificial intelligence Skynet. Soldier Kyle Reese follows him into the past to protect her. Cameron wrote the script together with producer Gale Anne Hurd. According to Wikipedia, the film cost $6.4 million, grossed $78.3 million and spent two weeks at the top of the US box office.
Who it’s for: for those who love fast-paced science fiction with a simple, sharp idea.
The Terminator1984 · actionWhere to watch and the card →Back to the Future
Teenager Marty McFly of 1985 is sent to 1955 in a time machine built by his friend, scientist Emmett “Doc” Brown, out of a DeLorean car. There he accidentally gets in the way of his future parents’ meeting and has to put everything right. The first choice for the role of Marty was Michael J. Fox, but he was busy, so the role first went to Eric Stoltz; a few weeks after filming began, the director decided to replace the actor, and the scenes had to be reshot. Zemeckis wrote the script together with Bob Gale. According to Wikipedia, the project was turned down more than forty times, and the finished film became the highest-grossing film of 1985 worldwide: $381.1 million.
Who it’s for: for family viewing and a first encounter with the genre.
Back to the Future1985 · adventureWhere to watch and the card →Groundhog Day
This is a story about a time loop, not a time machine. A cynical TV weatherman travels to a small town in Pennsylvania for the annual Groundhog Day festival and finds himself in a single day that repeats over and over. Ramis wrote the script together with Danny Rubin; Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell star. The film earned more than $105 million and won the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Who it’s for: for those who want a comedy with a romantic storyline and a philosophical undertone.
Groundhog Day1993 · comedyWhere to watch and the card →12 Monkeys
In a future devastated by a virus created by humans, a prisoner is sent to the past to gather information about the epidemic that wiped out most of the planet’s population. The script was written by David and Janet Peoples, based on Chris Marker’s short film La Jetée (1962). Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe and Brad Pitt star; Pitt won a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. The film grossed more than $168.8 million.
Who it’s for: for those who love gloomy thrillers with a puzzling plot.
12 Monkeys1995 · sci-fiWhere to watch and the card →Looper
In 2044, hitmen called “loopers” kill people whom a criminal syndicate sends back from 2074, because by then getting rid of a body is almost impossible. When a looper’s contract runs out, he must kill his own older self. The film was written and directed by Rian Johnson; Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt star. The movie opened the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival and grossed $176 million on a $30 million budget.
Who it’s for: for those who love science fiction with a crime storyline.
Looper2012 · actionWhere to watch and the card →Edge of Tomorrow
Most of Europe has been occupied by aliens known as “mimics”. Major William Cage, a publicist with no combat experience, is sent on a landing operation and gets stuck in a loop: each time he dies, the day starts over. The plot loosely follows the Japanese light novel All You Need Is Kill (2004) by Hiroshi Sakurazaka; filming took place in England, including at London’s Trafalgar Square. Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt star; according to Wikipedia, the film grossed $381 million.
Who it’s for: for fans of action films who also enjoy a bit of science fiction logic.
Edge of Tomorrow2014 · actionWhere to watch and the card →Tenet
A CIA agent is recruited by a secret organization: he must trace the origin of objects moving backward through time and their link to an attack from the future. Nolan spent more than ten years thinking about the idea and then five more writing the script. The film opened in Britain on August 26, 2020, and in the US on September 3; it became the first Hollywood blockbuster to reach cinemas during the pandemic and won an Oscar for visual effects.
Who it’s for: for those who love complex plots and are ready to watch closely.
Tenet2020 · actionWhere to watch and the card →How to choose a time travel film
Time works differently in all seven stories, which makes it easy to choose by mood: there are time machines, there are loops, and there is even reversed time.
| What you feel like | What to pick | How time works |
|---|---|---|
| A light adventure with comedy | Back to the Future | A time machine, a trip to the past |
| A comedy with romance | Groundhog Day | A time loop |
| An action film that repeats | Edge of Tomorrow | A time loop |
| Gloomy science fiction | 12 Monkeys | Sent to the past |
| A crime thriller | Looper | Sent to the past |
| A classic with a cyborg | The Terminator | Sent from the future |
| A complex puzzle | Tenet | Reversed time |
Tenet is not the only Christopher Nolan film where time is the main character: all of his work, from Following to The Odyssey, is collected in our article on Nolan’s films in release order. And if you want to see where science fiction cinema began, read our overview of classic science fiction worth knowing: The Terminator is part of it too.
Tip. Don’t binge these films. After complex 12 Monkeys or Tenet, give yourself something lighter, like Back to the Future: that way the impressions won’t blur together and each plot will be remembered better.
Frequently asked questions
How is a time loop different from time travel?
In a journey, the hero moves to another time, to the past or the future, and acts there. In a loop, time closes in on itself: the hero relives the same stretch again and again. In our selection, the loops are Groundhog Day and Edge of Tomorrow; the other films are about moving through time.
Which film should I start with if I don’t like complex science fiction?
Start with Back to the Future or Groundhog Day. These are comedies in which the idea is explained briefly and without formulas. The more complex 12 Monkeys and Tenet are best saved for later.
Are any of the films adaptations of other works?
Yes. 12 Monkeys is based on Chris Marker’s short film La Jetée (1962), and Edge of Tomorrow loosely follows the Japanese light novel All You Need Is Kill (2004).
Where can I watch these films?
Streaming catalogs change, so we don’t list them. Check the film’s page on a service available to you; each film’s card on our site also has a “Where to watch” block.
Sources
- Back to the Future (Wikipedia)
- Groundhog Day (film) (Wikipedia)
- 12 Monkeys (Wikipedia)
- Looper (film) (Wikipedia)
- Tenet (film) (Wikipedia)
Data was checked against live Wikipedia pages on October 14, 2026.
Discussion